Crime and Policing Bill (First sitting)

David Taylor Excerpts

Committee stage
Thursday 27th March 2025 Public Bill Committees

[The Chair]

We can probably squeeze in one more quick question.

[David Taylor (Hemel Hempstead) (Lab)]

Q I want to associate myself with what my hon. Friend the Member for Forest of Dean said and to thank you all for your service. Tiff, I have a question for you. When we met in January—I was very grateful for that briefing—part of what we discussed was neighbourhood policing, which is a key theme of the Bill. Have you done any assessment of the Bill’s effectiveness in helping neighbourhood policing?

Tiff Lynch: Neighbourhood policing is the bedrock of policing; that is something I have always believed, and we have discussed it privately. The police officers and police community support officers out there work with communities, and this Bill—I come back to what I said before—will go some way towards bringing us into line with how society is changing, so that we can actually use laws to keep the public safe. But, again, it comes down to the investment that is made in policing so that we are able to enact those laws, and when I talk about investment, that is about people, systems and infrastructure.

[The Chair]

That brings us to the end of the time allotted for the Committee to ask questions of this panel. On behalf of the Committee, I thank our witnesses for their evidence.

Examination of Witnesses

Oliver Sells KC and Rt Hon Sir Robert Buckland KBE KC gave evidence.